Wings of Fire
by The Great NeoDragon
Summary: Birds...forever the symbol of freedom. Perhaps it was that symbolism that had attracted Kevin Mask to the malicious Eskara. But the young chojin was soon to find that this bird was a phoenix, whose blazing feathers burned anyone to dared to come near. (


Wings of Fire

What was it that compelled one to stay in a relationship that was, by any and all definitions, detrimental? What was it that the young vagabond saw in his mischievous and malicious new teammate? Malice…a suitable nickname for the bird, and what a bird he was! Maybe that was the reason behind the son of the legendary chojin knight's intense and unusual attraction. Eskara was indeed a bird, free from the constraints of morality and society. Perhaps…in Eskara he saw the freedom that he had yearned for so long. After being chained for so long at the hands of his father…just a touch of autonomy was intoxicating.

Unfortunately, this bird was a phoenix, with wings of flame that burned those who came too close…and Kevin was a moth.

Once drawn in, the young chojin was trapped in an invisible net. Even as he openly swore never to allow himself to be caught in the iron vice of another, he would follow the object of his adoration like a lost puppy. Was it infatuation that blinded him, or merely the hope that he would find the affection he internally and unknowingly desired? Either way, it was entirely one-sided. Oh, it was not as if Eskara did not sleep with him, in fact he was a more than willing participant. Sometimes too willing. But as soon as the bird had his fill, he would be gone into the night, leaving the one who cherished him in the dust.

He should have known…yet how could he? Love and commitment were merely fairy tales in his youthful eyes. Never had he experienced either…and therefore they did not exist. This world was far different than those conjured by the hopeful and optimistic. Kevin long ago refused to be blinded by false idealism.

Still…the knowledge did not ease the pain of loneliness…or the agony of knowing that this relationship, like all others, was destined to fail. What he did not know was that he, not Eskara, would be the deserter.

The brotherly bond of the DmP was nothing but a lie.

A figment of an overactive imagination…or perhaps a remnant of hope, that there was indeed a place for him in this vast and lonesome world.

That hope was irretrievably shattered the day he and Eskara were forced to crawl across that spiked log. The day Kevin almost left his mortal coil.

How quick the bird was to abandon him. To let him die.

It would have been easier if Eskara had done so because he was compelled by fear. But the harsh reality was that the bird couldn't be bothered.

Kevin's life simply wasn't worth saving.

How guilty the young chojin felt as he heard his own voice cry out like a coward for help, to hear himself repeat the secretive words of his father regarding the Kinnikubuster in order to make his life worth saving in the eyes of his own companion.

If Eskara had cared for him at all, he never would have put the young chojin in such a horrible position.

If the DmP was directed with the least bit of honor, they would never cheat like they had in their match against the Muscle League.

From that day forward, he would free himself from the damning ties with the DmP. No longer would he allow himself to be involved in _any_ relationships, never would he be burned again. Even as the pangs of loneliness repeatedly and consistently intensified, he deterred anyone's efforts to come close to him with an almost vehement ferocity. One could only think it was out of sheer arrogance, and Kevin wanted it that way. He even had it down to a science. That was…until one day, when he met a man who's affability he could not discourage.

Lord Croe Flash.

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Author's Notes: I've been wanting to write a fic that placed a little more spotlight on Eskara for some time, just to see if I could accurately write his character. I may eventually write one starring him, but that would be only if the bug bites me. This fic is a prequel to No Need for Words, so if you want a happier ending than this one provides, you can read that story. XD It took me over three hours to write a fic that's barely two pages long. @_@ Hopefully, the quality will show the amount of time placed into this fic, and that I was at least somewhat on target with the characters of Kevin Mask and Eskara.


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